🌱 Portland Public School Violence + Guns Being Stolen From Cars

Happy Wednesday, Portland! Are we ready to make the day everything it can be? You're the only one who can answer that, but let me do my part and tell you what's going on in the city.

First, today's weather:

It'll be cloudy for most of the day, but the high will still be 74, so that'll be nice.

Here are the top stories in Portland today:

1. Nearly 1,400 people woke up in the dark in Southwest Portland Tuesday morning. Portland General Electric reported 1,394 customers were without power as of 5:35 a.m. The company initially estimated crews would have the power restored by 8 a.m., but at 8:05 a.m. 1,394 customers were still reporting an outage. The outage was reportedly caused by an equipment issue just after 2 a.m. (KOIN.com)
2. A Multnomah County circuit judge ruled Monday that lawyers for Metro, the Portland area’s regional government, were correct in ruling that an initiative from the advocacy group People for Portland aimed at reallocating hundreds of millions in tax money for homeless services could not be put on the ballot in November. (Willamette Week)
3. Educators across the country have said for months that this school year has been especially tough, and coming back to school full time after so much distance learning was hard on students and teachers. Colin Hawkins is a science teacher at Roseway Heights Middle School in the Portland Public School District (PPS). He and his colleagues have seen a lot this year. The first few months of the school year included a large brawl and school walkout.(KGW.com)
4. Cities across the country are experiencing staffing challenges in parks and recreation agencies. With summer on the way, parents in Portland are eager to get their kids in swimming lessons. Classes are scarce because of low staff. Since June 2021, Portland Parks & Recreation have put on job fairs, and used social media to hire more staff. It is trying to hire 100 more lifeguards and swim instructors for the 2022 summer season. Alaina Bott, PP&R Aquatics Director, says the department is frustrated and wants to be able to teach every kid in the city how to swim. (Fox 12 Oregon)
5. Police from all over the Portland-Metro area say criminals are stealing guns from legal gun owners. But what people may not realize is that a lot of legal guns in the area are getting stolen from unattended cars, which is becoming a major problem, according to police. With violent crime on the rise, police throughout the Metro area are telling legal gun owners that leaving a firearm in a car is a dangerous way for guns to end up in the wrong hands. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

• Holocene and Bogmonster Events present the 7th edition of POP + PUPPETRY, an interdisciplinary extravaganza for the eyes and ears! Three puppeteer teams of diverse styles will be paired with three inventive Portland-based pop/rock groups. Each puppeteer will present an original puppet show created especially for this event and synced to the band’s music. The results should be dazzling, and help to elevate the experience of both artistic mediums when combined. Tickets available online. Doors open at 8 p.m.
• It's Miami Vice Fest at the Hollywood Theater. See two episodes from seasons two and three of the super stylized, MTV-influenced cop show, executive produced by Michael Mann (THIEF, HEAT, MANHUNTER). Under the stern command of Police Chief Castillo (Edward James Olmos), detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) infiltrate the gritty neon-drenched underworld of drug dealers, gun runners, and terrorists. Get your tickets online. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
• Join Surfrider Portland Chapter as they partner with Evo, Up North Surf Club, Poler, Migration, Good Fins, and Sensi Swim for a night of fun at Evo. There will be short films focused on surf and sustainability as well as awesome opportunities to connect with great people and local business as well as pop up sales and giveaway prizes! 7 p.m.
• Join OMSI After Dark to learn about cider making, experience the new featured exhibit, The World of da Vinci, and taste local ciders. There will be science demonstrations, more food and cider vendors than I can mention here and Jugglemania! Tickets available online. 6 - 10 p.m.
• Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade is having its Last Wednesday Free Play Party. With over 100 classic arcade games and pinball machines that are playable with unlimited credits for just a $10 cover! Full bar service and food are available all day, with vegan and gluten-free options too! Noon to midnight.

From my notebook:

• Portland Audubon: "Northern Saw-whet Owls may be difficult to see, but they are easy to hear. Keep an ear out for their distinctive too-too-too song in Oregon forests. 🎶 ➡ Tap the link in the bio to get to a page with recordings of Northern Saw-whet Owl'..." (Instagram)
• Are you ready for some true crime, Portland? In the end, it was a drink at the Horse Brass Pub in Southeast Portland that led to a break in the cold case killing of an airport worker who disappeared more than 20 years ago. Court records filed by Multnomah County prosecutors shed new light on the case against Christopher Lovrien, 55, who was arrested two years ago in the 1991 killing of Mark Dribin, 42, and the 2000 death of Kenneth Griffin, 53. (The Oregonian)
• Thanks to a partnership between Portland State University and tactical urbanist group Better Block PDX, dreams really can come true for people who fantasize about making changes to Portland’s streetscape. This year, the program will tackle design ideas that include converting a cul-de-sac into an outdoor plaza space, working with urban design expert Cathy Tuttle to polish up and operationalize a plan for a car-free Downtown Portland and more. (Bike Portland)
• Neighbors along Alberta are rallying around a man known for his kind heart and killer barbecue, after his smoker was stolen from his house, leaving him unable to make money. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time. James Dixon and his barbecue catering business “Dixon’s Rib Pit” is a staple at events like Last Thursday, and he knows every family on the street. (KPTV)
• After a two-year hiatus, the world-renowned Oregon Brewers Festival is reclaiming its place at Tom McCall Waterfront Park for its 33rd year. The 2022 festival will run from Thursday, July 28 through Saturday, July 30, in downtown Portland. The festival will feature 40 beers from 40 Oregon brewers, with 80% of the beers either exclusive to the festival, or making their debut there. Two Oregon ciders will join the lineup, and Crater Lake Root Beer will be on hand for designated drivers and non-drinkers. (Washington Beer Blog)
• Interested in becoming a foster volunteer to a Multnomah County shelter animal? Why not take the first step by completing a foster volunteer application? It could help to spend time at a shelter helping to bottle feed kittens or giving anxious dogs some TLC. Check them out. (Multnomah County Pets)

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It's smack dab in the middle of the week and we've already got puppets, bottle-fed kittens and stolen guns. But that's just Portland, folks, and we've learned to roll with the flow. Ride that wave, my friends, but let it bring you back here tomorrow for more daily happenings.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com